HICKORY, N.C. — A pair of Catawba Valley Community College women's basketball players have received recognition as all-conference performers following the 2018-19 season.
Red Hawk sophomores Sherry Johnson and Zharia Brown have both been named to the 13-person All-Region X team.
Both athletes helped lead the CVCC women's basketball program to a 24-6 record, a 17-3 mark in Region X games and its second-ever regular-season conference championship this past winter.
"I'm happy for Sherry and Zharia," said CVCC women's basketball head coach Tisha England. "They are both sophomores and going on to the next level. They've worked hard. They really wanted this. Hard work does pay off."
Despite playing just one season at Catawba Valley, Johnson had an immediate impact on the Red Hawks' women's basketball program, leading the team in points per game (19.2), rebounds per game (10.6) and field goal percentage (50.1).
During the Red Hawks' 14-game winning streak this past winter — the second longest in program history — Johnson recorded 11 double doubles. She finished the season with 19 double doubles, becoming the all-time leader in that category in school history for both a season and career.
Johnson finishes her Red Hawk career with the most two-point field goals (245), most rebounds (316) and most rebounds per game in a season (10.5).
"Sherry came in and wanted to make a difference in our program," England said. "I told her what it was going to take to make that difference. She had to come in here and work hard in the classroom as well as the court, and that's what she has done. She gave all that she had every game, every day — day in and day out."
A key returner for the Red Hawks this season from her post position, Brown was second for the Red Hawks this past winter in scoring at 11.6 points per game and rebounding at 8.2 rebounds per game.
The 6-foot-1 sophomore from Charlotte, N.C. played in 30 games for CVCC, starting in 19 of those contests.
Brown finishes her two-year athletic career at CVCC as the second-leading scorer and leading rebounder in program history with 718 points and 505 rebounds. Her 204 free throws are also the most in a Red Hawk career, while her 71.8 free throw percentage ranks fourth all time.
"After last season, Zharia had express how disappointing she was in herself as a freshman when we came up short in the Region X Tournament so she made a commitment to put the work in and get better," England said. "She did, and it paid off. I'm proud of the growth in Zharia in the classroom as well as on the court. I'm looking forward to seeing Zharia walk across the stage to receive her diploma and to start her journey at the next level."
Below is a complete list of the All-Region X performers in women's basketball:
2018-19 All-Region X women's basketball
J'nai Millner, Guilford Tech
Tiara Williams, Bryant & Stratton
Emily Davis, Wake Tech
Sherry Johnson, Catawba Valley
Ny Langley, Cape Fear
Kapria Pressley, Brunswick
Harmony Davidson, Louisburg
Ashley Planter, USC Salkehatchie
Monique Jones, Louisburg
Tracey Kemp, Cape Fear
Tyrlyanna Owens, Bryant & Stratton
Chrystall Jerome, Lenoir
Zharia Brown, Catawba Valley
Player of the Year
J'nai Millner, Guilford Tech
Coach of the Year
Cornel Parker, Bryant & Stratton